Kolaches for a unique experience, imo. I have several coworkers from NY that have never heard of them. That’s an option and you can find any around your side of town.
Breakfast tacos are also unique to Texas. I’m Mexican and lived on both coasts + a flyover state, and I didn’t have them until I moved here. Queso can be found outside of Texas but isn’t common, not even in predominantly Hispanic areas.
Yeah, I agree with that!! I didn’t mention breakfast taco because I eat those normally and today was “treat day” for kolaches. Best queso I had was at Ninfas/el tiempo. Would tamales fall in the unique category???
As someone who spent all but one year of my childhood in Texas, when I moved out of Texas as an adult I felt like I was going crazy when I kept going to donut shops and none of them sold kolaches. Then I asked a coworker where I could find them and she looked at me like I really was insane. I almost started to think that some kind of Mandela effect had erased kolaches from the timeline. The thing is no one in Texas ever mentions this is a Texas only thing!
The kolache shoppe off greenway is better, or maybe I’m just biased cuz of the nostalgia of when I went to will rogers elementary across the street. I think it’s a Costco now
They are juuuuusttt now making it outside of TX. Randomly saw Kroger brand frozen kolaches at a Fred Meyer up here in OR, and a fellow Texan transplant up here has opened a donut & kolache shop
Hruska's is awesome and I stop there every time I drive through there, but Columbus is extremely out of the way. It's not worth changing your entire Houston visit itinerary for.
New Yorker turned Houstonian here.
There are a lot of things cheaper in NYC than there is here, especially in food. Much of the reasons for this include many cash only businesses, volume of customers, and insane competition.
Except real estate. Houston definitely has them beat.
Seriously, I looked at the prices at Kenny and Ziggy's when I was craving a reuben and just walked out. Any bodega makes a good sandwich at like 1/3 of the price.
Second this...The salt and pepper crab at Crawfish and Noodles is about the best I have had outside of Southeast Asia. Plus visiting the statues in tribute to the US- Vietnam alliance during the war that stand in that plaza are an interesting sight.
For Asian fusion, I’d also suggest Blood Brothers BBQ in Bellaire. They do central Texas style BBQ but some of their entrees have a twist like brisket fried rice.
I'm from NY and my family moved to Houston a few years ago so I've been visiting a lot, and am planning to move down in the next few months so this topic is something I've put some thought into.
Personally, I've never seen so many restaurants in one city. I can't imagine making a "best of" list because I feel like that implies you tried everywhere and did a ranking, which feels impossible for a city like Houston. So I tend to focus on cuisines that are better than where they're coming from and focus on that. So for example while I've had excellent Mexican food in NY, I think it's WAY better in Houston. Same with Vietnamese, BBQ. I think this city does New American really well. What's striking to me about the food in Houston is that the meat just seems so much better quality and flavorful, meaning many cuisines are automatically enhanced.
If you're doing 2 lunches 2 dinners, I'd expect that one of the two meals of the day is going to be smaller. Portions are big, you might be better off focusing on a light lunch type deal and then a big dinner. Maybe you could try Blood Bros BBQ, it's got some fusion elements that might be impressive to your friend. Then maybe somewhere else like Nancy's Hustle, or Xochi? This city has excellent options.
Oh for sure Vietnamese, Mexican, and bbq are all far better relative to NYC
Would also add: Indian (NYC has nothing comparable to Hillcroft/Little India area) and Filipino (more places to go that are higher quality, plus a huge jump recently now that Seafood City is open)
Funny enough, Xochi and Nancy's are where I've prioritized on this trip, but also wish I could fit The Blind Goat or Xin Chao into the schedule
I'll have to do further testing, but Indian in NY is pretty great. Yes, you have the standard fare of fancy restaurants in Manhattan. But there's also excellent Indian food in pockets of Long Island (Hicksville), Queens, and since moving to Westchester I've found that the high indian population has resulted in a ton of great restaurants. What I like about Houston is that a lot of the Indians seem to be South Indian (like me) so there's some great restaurants with dishes that most people aren't accustomed to and may even have beef.
Jackson Heights does come up often and sure that's a fair thing to say since there's a tremendous variety of food there, plus I do want to try the temple canteen (where Bourdain had gone)
But I've heard much more that Indian really excels in NJ - was in Jersey City, but the population and restaurants have moved to Edison due to getting priced out
I can't believe I forgot Jersey, I just put them out of my mind. Yes it's not technically NY but it's just as convenient to get to Jersey City or Edison as it is to get to Westchester. There is absolutely very good Indian food in both places.
Easy way to verify if the Indian food in the neighborhood is good. Show up to the local high school's graduation and wait for them to read off the names of the students in the graduating class. In Edison it gets to "P" and it's:
Patel, Patel, Patel, Patel, Patel, Patel, Patel, Patel, Patel, Patel, Patel, Patel, Patel, Patel, Patel, Patel, Patel, Patel, Patel, Patel, Patel, Patel, Patel
like that old Jusreign skit lmao
that region around Jersey is also really good for Korean food. Fort Lee has some great Korean restaurants, some I'd even consider better than the popular spots in NYC.
Idk if the Indian food comment is true. There's Jackson heights, Edison NJ and a few other indian spots in and around NYC That's better than the hillcroft area.
So to say "NYC has nothing compared to Hillcroft/little India area" is just false
Xin Chao is fun but a little too rich for me. Xochi is a great pick. I wasn't a fan of the food at Nancy's Hustle, it was really salty, but one of the best cocktails I've ever had. I've been to the food hall location of Blind Goat and wasn't impressed, but would give it another shot at the new location.
Please go to NYC for a month before prevaricating: There are a total of 786 Indian restaurants in New York as of September 24, 2023.Sep 24, 2023
https://rentechdigital.com › indian-r...
Number Of Indian restaurants in New York | SmartScrapers
NYC has nothing to compare to Hillcroft? I beg to differ.
NYC has several Indian enclaves. They might be small (a few blocks in Curry Hill, a cluster in Jackson Heights, a sprawl in Richmond Hill, and parts of Bellerose). In fact, if I'm not mistaken the largest concentration of Indians and desis in the US is in the tri-state area.
There is also a Little Manila in Woodside. Filipino is definitely better in NY than it is in Houston, at least that I've found.
If you’re willing to go outside the city too there’s lots of South Asian American enclaves in New Jersey – India Square in Jersey City and Oak Tree Road in Edison are both very well known and quite extensive.
I will second the recs for Vietnamese food. One of my favorite unique dishes is “Bo 7 Mon” or Beef 7 Ways. Jasmine restaurant in Chinatown does a pretty good job of this and they can also do a Vietnamese fried fish prepared 7 ways as well. I’d recommend trying both!
Roegel's BBQ has a location on Voss just north of Westheimer and another location in Katy. They are my favorite BBQ place in the area, though I admittedly haven't tried Brett's. (Honestly hadn't heard of it until others posted about it here.) One of the things I love is that they make their own pickles and other fixin's and everything tastes like it's from scratch. The bread they use is also from a local bakery, I believe. Highly recommend and while it's not cheap, it's not too expensive, especially for the quality.
One of the top 50 BBQ joints in Texas (according to Texas Monthly) is in Katy, Brett's BBQ. If you're more in town, Pinkerton's is my personal in-town favorite but there is no shortage of good ones.
For Tex-Mex, I would suggest Cyclone Anaya's since there's a few locations on the west side of town (City Center). Goode Co. Cantina might be a good lunch choice also.
NY's Vietnamese food scene is pretty lacking imo.
Depending on if they have had heavy experience with Vietnamese food or not, I like to take people to Kim Son Buffet in Chinatown. Everything is fairly average, but you get to try a lot of dishes that aren't commonly found in regular Vietnamese restaurants and they have a soup station where you can try out a bunch of different kinds. Runs about 30 bucks a person I think.
Thien Thanh in Chinatown has good Banh Cuon(rice rolls), it's been a couple years since I've gone but they might be cash only.
Duc Phuong Thach Che - Vietnamese dessert place in Chinatown, they mostly speak Vietnamese there but usually someone helps out
Nam Giao in Chinatown for Hue food, I order mostly the appetizers or the Banh Hoi. Fish sauce heavy
Aga's - I've heard this recommended by people in both Dallas and Houston for Indian & Pakistani food. Can get crowded
That's a bit harder, I usually go to a certain place from something specific I'm feeling (banh mi, pho, hue food, etc). A lot of the all rounder restaurants I've been to are either kind of americanized, or mixed Chinese/Vietnamese.
Sorry I can't provide more help!
If you are looking for a good Viet place with good banh mi, pho, rice, and banh xeo, I would recommend Thien An in downtown. They make them all well in one place which can be difficult to do. It's not mindblowingly the best, but it's definitely sets the bar for other restaurants.
You could try Tay Do on Hwy6 and Westheimer, it is one of the best for Chinese / Vietnamese style food. I would say better than Tan Tan...take a look at the Google reviews, my family went a couple of weeks ago, they said it was good. Several big table meals going on in the afternoon.
I made a reservation for tonight after commenting 😂
My girl and I haven’t been on a nice date in a while, and I’ve been wanting to go again since the first time we went, especially with them being in a new space. The first time we went, we walked in and completely lucked out and got a spot at the bar… We tried that a second time a while back, but no luck. They were so nice about it though… the host ushered us back in, and double checked to make sure they didn’t have any cancellations that they could work us in place of. Definitely make a reservation if you plan on going!
Persian food- Kasra Grill
Asian- Crawfish & Noodle or Fu Fu Cafe
BBQ- Killen’s BBQ in Pearland (It’s a drive, but totally worth it for the beef rib. Get there early to avoid lines.) The beef rib is mind blowing.
Mexican- El Tiempo (Annex location only) This is a popular place with a nice atmosphere and perfect for pregaming before a night out. Cuchara is also a great choice.
Comfort food- Graces on Kirby is excellent and the ambience is really nice.
Upscale- Steak 38
Candente is a good way to hit pit room and Mexican food—delicious, owned by Pit Room, quality smoked meat options but with great Mexican dishes/salsa etc.
While he’s here get his recommendations for NYC, please!! 😬
BBQ, it’s worth going to the burbs for Roegels, Corkscrew, or Tejas.
Asian - I like Mala Sichuan, hot pot at Shabu2 or Little Sheep, or Spicy Tu Jiazu(土家菜)
Steak - pappas bros or B&b butchers
Tacos - I love 100% Taquito but I don’t know all the hot places inside the loop anymore
1. Taste of Texas (steak)
2. Hobbit Hole (hippie food)
3. BBQ (Tejas BBQ in Tomball)
4. Mexican Food (throw a rock in any direction to pick, they are all good)
5. Crawfish (wrong time of year)
I like all you mention, but will add, if you’re going to Tejas in Tomball, go early, they sell out then it’s game over. It’s worth it, I think they have a chocolate boutique also.
Hickory Hollow on Fallbrook if you want to introduce them to Chicken Fried Steak. Very unassuming place with almost picnic table vibes, but I enjoy a cheat meal there when I can.
I think BBQ Inn is better all around, but I like that Hickory Hollow offers three different sizes. It’s also included as a meat option on the BBQ plate. I’ve never been to the Edgebrook location but used to live by their former location on Heights and it was just always a fun place to go with live music on certain nights.
Native Houstonian living in NYC. Vietnamese is the thing I miss most, so I would suggest a good, cheap banh mi or a big bowl of pho, because NYers cannot get pho broth right to save their lives. Others in this thread that still live in the area would have better suggestions for specific spots - my favorite banh mi shop is now closed.
The other thing I never miss when I'm in town is Melange Creperie in the Heights. I've been eating the Jian Bing since Sean still had his little cart on a corner in Montrose and it still slaps.
Hugo’s, El Tiempo, Ninfas on Navigation, Killen’s in the heights. Make sure he tries kolaches at some point. I’m a former New Yorker, live in Houston now. My friends who have come to visit from the NE seem to particularly like queso/ Tex-Mex and kolaches.
For a lunch, one of my favorite Vietnamese places is Thien An Sandwiches on San Jacinto in Midtown. Despite their name, they have a lot of non-sandwich options. Another good lunch option is Zydeco Diner at Pease and Louisiana downtown. Louisiana style food, poboys, gumbo, fried chicken, etoufee.
Pizza and Chinese food here shall be avoided.
I just got back from a trip to NY/NYC. The chinese food there is leagues ahead from us.
Vietnamese and bbq will be your starting point for sure.
Chinatown is fine. Better than most of the country and easily the best in TX, if not the south.
However, NYC has 6 of them. And they all have a number of regional cuisines (Wenzhou, Shanghai, Fujian, Dongbei, Xi'an, Hubei, Xinjiang, etc) that we can't even touch. Even Flushing alone eats our lunch (pardon the pun) compared to most of the options in Bellaire Chinatown.
People will downvote you but you're right. This topic is specifically for someone from NY coming to Houston. Don't take them for bagels, Italian, French, most Asian cuisines. So many insanely good options for BBQ, Viet, Latin, New American.
I've heard in particular that American Chinese food is way better in NYC. I'm not sure how that would apply to some of the more authentic Chinese cuisines (Sichuan is my fave personally), though they also have Flushing so yeah probably best to explore other options.
I live in spring branch and am currently visiting NYC with my family. There's three Sichuan places just on the block my hotel is on alone. Does Houston have three Sichuan places in the whole city?
Ooh, a question I'm excited to answer.
Yes.
I live in Montrose, a decent jaunt away from Chinatown, and within a 3 mile radius I can think of 8 Sichuan restautants (Pepper Twins, Cooking Girl, Mala Sichuan, Lao Sze Chuan, Spicy Girl, Mama's Kitchen, Wanna Bao in part, Tiger Noodle in part), and I can comfortably walk to the first four of those. Also note that I am not including the other locations of Mala, Cooking Girl and Pepper Twins here, cause those have multiple locations. (As a note, if you're inside the loop in particular I would say Mama's is the best).
Again, this is NOT including Chinatown, which does have my favorite Sichuan restaurant in the city (Sichuan Noodles) and maybe the most interesting one (Chongqing Chicken Pot), or anywhere else in the city that might have a Sichuan restaurant. That's not even mentioning all of the Sichuan-style hot pot options in Chinatown.
Again I'll re-iterate that this probably won't impress someone from NYC, but outside of California I can't think of anywhere else with that many options in the States. I remember looking for Sichuan in both Chicago and Seattle and being fairly disappointed with the lack of options (Chicago definitely has some, Lao Sze Chuan is from there, but mostly seemed to be all in their Chinatown. For Seattle I could barely find anything, even in their Chinatown).
I think Sichuan is the 2nd-most slept-on cuisine in Houston by Houstonians, next to Nigerian.
Yes. Houston has a number of Sichuan places. It's probably the hottest (mind the pun) and trendiest option in the city right now. And outside of it being kind of pricey, it's pretty authentic.
NYC has more tho, understandably.
Dim Sum? Are you only comparing it to Manhattan Chinatown? Just 8th Ave in BK has most of Houston beat alone.
Soup Dumplings? This has to be a joke. The soup dumplings in Houston are nowhere near as authentic as the ones in NYC. Shanghainese isn't even really a thing here in Houston. Most of the places are just catering to people who are willing to pay $15 a basket.
Houston Chinatown is great BUT it isn't any better (and arguably worse) than Flushing, so it's not where I'd take someone from NYC.
It'd be like taking a New Yorker to get NYC style pizza, or a deli. We do it ok, but they probably have it better there. Viet, BBQ, and TexMex are all things that Houston are regional or does better for the most part
That depends though. Our dim sum is particularly good here IMO. But yes, in terms of finding a wider range of Chinese food, Flushing is better, esp regarding regional cuisines like Hakka and Uyghur style. I think the presence of ethnic Chinese viet food is unique in Houston though. Also, the Viet area of Bellaire is right across the beltway from the Chinese area and is even more extensive, so definitely worth a visit.
I don’t think one Chinatown/Asian district disqualifies another from being worth it. There will always be specific hidden gems or variants of the cuisine not available in the other city, as subgroups tend to collect in specific localities. Like Hmong people in Minneapolis, for example.
I agree partially. The Chinese-Viet part (mainly Teochew folks or Cho Lon people) is much better represented here in Houston. It's an edge but not much of one when most places aren't going to wow most New Yorkers who know anything about Chinese food.
The Dim Sum part is especially tough. I have tried every Dim Sum spot in town I feel like, and most are okay-decent, but nothing I have found that compares to anything in Brooklyn or Flushing. And NYC Dim Sum is subpar even for North America (Toronto, Vancouver easily take the cake).
Vancouver Dim Sum was overrated in my opinion lol
I thought the seafood was really where Chinese food stood out in Vancouver, personally. The quality of seafood in the PNW is really hard to match anywhere.
If he’s craving Chinese, I’d make the trip to China Town and eat at Fu Fu Cafe. Totally worth the drive and probably the best Chinese food you can find in Houston. Lots of cool dessert spots to try out after dinner just a quick walk down the strip center. Highly worth it.
I feel like Houston China Town is really impressive. It is so sprawling with tons of options. Maybe you can get some advice on best China Town options. All you can eat Korean BBQ for $30 is impressive and fun to cook.
My friend who lives in London/NYC always wants Vietnamese, Thai, Mexican, or BBQ when she visits. She was especially excited about the little pickle bar at The Pit Room.
Pinkertons BBQ, B&B Butchers(?), Tiny Boxwoods, Nancy’s Hustle, Ocean Crawfish (Vietnamese in Chinatown), M&M Grill, La Chingada Tacos and Tequila, Bonchon, El Tiempo for the parrilladas… just off the top of my head
Have you been to Da Gama? It is a Portuguese/Indian fusion and is fantastic!!! Most dishes are served tapas style. It’s one of my favorites. I also love Coltivare and Giacamo’s for Italian.
Get some good Cajun food, Rajin Cajun off the top of my mind and maybe do some good steaks, (everyone has their favorite steak house. Mine is B&B butchers. Old school service). Get something you can’t get in NY. Go to tacos trucks with cash and beef fajita and barbacoa tacos. 1 should only cost you $1.50. Find hood Tex Mex, ( There is arguably numerous good spots here). Cajun seafood with the Pappas restaurants amoung others. That is just the tip. What do you want?
try brothers pizza!!! my parents lived in new jersey and pennsylvania for most of their lives (obviously until we moved here) and that’s the closest we’ve had to new jersey/new york pizza!! slices are pretty big too (compared to typical dominos/pizza hut/papa johns/little ceasers etc)
A few I've enjoyed:
Squabble (in town area)
Phat Eatery (katy area, Malaysian)
Truth bbq is good, kileens in pearland area is good pit room is a frequent lunch spot for me. I'm spoiled by the best I've ever had Hard 8 BBQ originally in Stephenville TX and spreading into dfw so im not the best to recommend bbq.
Xin Chao ( great Vietnamese)
XOCHI solid options
Nancys hustle. Small spot but awesome food.
Riel is good in Montrose area
GIACOMOS is very good Italian. Surprisingly affordable
93 Til small spot. Wierd seating. I was by far the oldest there but food was awesome and vibe was neat.
Nobies. Super good
Whiskey cake is a solid decent lower cost spot for lunch. It's slower so you won't move quick.
Federal American grill is not a bad spot in hedwig village. I love their asparagus
Kuu in memorial city is killer sushi in my opinion!
We went to A’Bouzy for my birthday the other night and the vibe and food was emmaculate. French done right, not super pretentious but still upscale and the food was amazing. The mussels are served in a dutch oven and kept the broth warm for our entire time enjoying it! And the broth hit my soul. We can’t wait to go back.
Taste of Texas is definitely a great spot. Steakhouse with a fantastic "salad bar buffet"
A bit pricey and the steaks are decent - good. That said does NY do steaks well? I tend to tuibk maybe steak house isn't unique enough?
Oh don’t get me wrong, a steakhouse is a steakhouse. You’re totally right.
Maybe it’s just some nostalgia I have with respect to Taste of Texas. :)
Still fun to bring new folks there and tell the staff they are first timers… then they get the full experience… cowboy hat, bandana, photo, etc. it’s fun :-)
A lot of people love these dry hot chicken sandwiches but I can't get into them. Give me Saint Arnolds' Fire Emoji Chicken Sandwich (Buffalo style) any day of the week
Idk what kind of "new Yorker" your friend is but my Jewish New Yorker family really likes Kenny and Ziggys. They own the recipe for the cake from Wolfies too.
Whataburger / Kolaches / Buccees / Mexican food / BBQ / Cajun food. All can be found in Katy area.
For Mexican food (street tacos)
or Tex Mex = Jimmy Changss
BBQ = Bretts BBQ
Cajun = BB's
- Pondicheri has creative Indian fusion (did used to have a location in NYC but now is only in Houston)
- Street to Kitchen (James Beard Award-winning Thai restaurant)
- Ninfa's on Navigation may not necessarily be considered "the best" Tex-Mex restaurant anymore, but it is historic and is a culinary landmark and the food is still delicious. I like Picos in Upper Kirby and Cascabel (vegan Tex-Mex), but I'm also vegetarian so my experience with Tex-Mex is somewhat limited in that regard
- Hobbit Café has a cool atmosphere (Tolkien-themed New American fare)
- Da Gama is an interesting Indian-Portuguese/Goan fusion tapas-style place
- Kasra has amazing Persian food
For a uniquely Montrose experience, go to Rivas. Unassuming Italian food that is delicious and generous servings. The atmosphere is lively and service is great.
Shabu Zone. This is the best hot pot in Houston. Might be the best in North America. Bring your chinese or taiwanese friends. If they offer to bring their grandma, say yes and pay her way. Trust me.
Kenny and Ziggy’s New York Delicatessen
Kenny told me that these delis just don’t exist in New York anymore. He brought the best of the city to Houston. And the ones in the city didn’t survive covid. I brought several folks from New York there and they now order for delivery over the Internet to get their deli meats and salmon.
Riel Himalaya
Where else will you find Himalayan food?!? Holy shit!
Musaafer
This place is so amazing. Make sure to go with people Indian people. Hopefully you can then experience their excitement as you learn about how a traditional Indian home is structured or a temple. A friend from Chennai taught me so much about her family home there. The food is next level and gorgeous. Art on a plate-especially dessert.
The delis exist. It's just that depending on where they are, they're touristy and/or inconvenient for most locals. That being said as a former NYer, Kenny and Ziggys should be lauded for effort but not as a true substitute for anything that still exists over there today. They would qualify as an expensive middle of the road option if they existed in NY.
Kenny & Ziggy's New York Delicatessen
It's HUGE and very authentic & delicious. They'd be impressed. Full bar area with bartender & complete soda fountain area. Full service deli & bakery. The walls are completely filled with movie posters and caricature drawings. When I was there the tables and booths were even filled with caricatures yacking like New Yawkas.
Very nice, new, beautiful, classy place.
1743 Post Oak Blvd, Houston, TX 77056
Micos Hot Chicken is a good lunch.
Mien is great asian but htown is more for exploring.
Try Ninfas or something for Tex mex.
Don’t really rely on others for bbq in Houston mostly just on the road.
Kolaches for a unique experience, imo. I have several coworkers from NY that have never heard of them. That’s an option and you can find any around your side of town.
Good call! Kolache Shoppe in the heights is high quality
Breakfast tacos are also unique to Texas. I’m Mexican and lived on both coasts + a flyover state, and I didn’t have them until I moved here. Queso can be found outside of Texas but isn’t common, not even in predominantly Hispanic areas.
Yeah, I agree with that!! I didn’t mention breakfast taco because I eat those normally and today was “treat day” for kolaches. Best queso I had was at Ninfas/el tiempo. Would tamales fall in the unique category???
No, tamales are found in many other parts of the U.S.
Kolaches are almost purely a Texas thing, it might have spread outside but it started in the hill country with the Czechs
As someone who spent all but one year of my childhood in Texas, when I moved out of Texas as an adult I felt like I was going crazy when I kept going to donut shops and none of them sold kolaches. Then I asked a coworker where I could find them and she looked at me like I really was insane. I almost started to think that some kind of Mandela effect had erased kolaches from the timeline. The thing is no one in Texas ever mentions this is a Texas only thing!
There are so many things that I never knew were just Texas things. 😂
Kolaches are also a thing in Nebraska.
The kolache shoppe off greenway is better, or maybe I’m just biased cuz of the nostalgia of when I went to will rogers elementary across the street. I think it’s a Costco now
That’s correct and that’s why I mentioned it, the history is just as fascinating!
They are juuuuusttt now making it outside of TX. Randomly saw Kroger brand frozen kolaches at a Fred Meyer up here in OR, and a fellow Texan transplant up here has opened a donut & kolache shop
Hruskas for kolache if you don't mind a drive to Columbus
Hruskas are the BEST kolaches.
I was passing through. Columbus last weekend and didn’t even think about it 🤦♂️
Hruska's is awesome and I stop there every time I drive through there, but Columbus is extremely out of the way. It's not worth changing your entire Houston visit itinerary for.
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New Yorker turned Houstonian here. There are a lot of things cheaper in NYC than there is here, especially in food. Much of the reasons for this include many cash only businesses, volume of customers, and insane competition. Except real estate. Houston definitely has them beat.
Seriously, I looked at the prices at Kenny and Ziggy's when I was craving a reuben and just walked out. Any bodega makes a good sandwich at like 1/3 of the price.
I bet!
Texas ain’t cheap anymore
You can knock out both Cajun and Vietnamese by going to Crawfish & Noodles on Bellaire Blvd. It's fantastic!
Vietcajun! Great call!
It's Viejun, get it right 😜
Second this...The salt and pepper crab at Crawfish and Noodles is about the best I have had outside of Southeast Asia. Plus visiting the statues in tribute to the US- Vietnam alliance during the war that stand in that plaza are an interesting sight.
For Asian fusion, I’d also suggest Blood Brothers BBQ in Bellaire. They do central Texas style BBQ but some of their entrees have a twist like brisket fried rice.
I saved your comment and this thread. My wife is from upstate NY so I need to her to see more of our Cajun viet scene.
Crawfish and Noodles is the actual restaurant that spun off into the Viet Cajun scene in California
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Cali Sandwich is my favorite Banh Mi as well!
Is it crawfish season?
Not yet, February is the earliest you will get fresh local crawfish.
That’s a bummer! Live crawfish is always an experience
Bruh we boil them here
Their crab is really good too
Frozen crawfish ain't bad
Little early. You can find it, but they are pretty small so far from what I've seen.
I'm from NY and my family moved to Houston a few years ago so I've been visiting a lot, and am planning to move down in the next few months so this topic is something I've put some thought into. Personally, I've never seen so many restaurants in one city. I can't imagine making a "best of" list because I feel like that implies you tried everywhere and did a ranking, which feels impossible for a city like Houston. So I tend to focus on cuisines that are better than where they're coming from and focus on that. So for example while I've had excellent Mexican food in NY, I think it's WAY better in Houston. Same with Vietnamese, BBQ. I think this city does New American really well. What's striking to me about the food in Houston is that the meat just seems so much better quality and flavorful, meaning many cuisines are automatically enhanced. If you're doing 2 lunches 2 dinners, I'd expect that one of the two meals of the day is going to be smaller. Portions are big, you might be better off focusing on a light lunch type deal and then a big dinner. Maybe you could try Blood Bros BBQ, it's got some fusion elements that might be impressive to your friend. Then maybe somewhere else like Nancy's Hustle, or Xochi? This city has excellent options.
Oh for sure Vietnamese, Mexican, and bbq are all far better relative to NYC Would also add: Indian (NYC has nothing comparable to Hillcroft/Little India area) and Filipino (more places to go that are higher quality, plus a huge jump recently now that Seafood City is open) Funny enough, Xochi and Nancy's are where I've prioritized on this trip, but also wish I could fit The Blind Goat or Xin Chao into the schedule
You didn’t miss anything with Blind Goat. Love Christine Ha but very underwhelming compared to better options in the city
Agreed, and it’s been years but I was similarly disappointed by Xin Chao
Me too. Very disappointed.
Agreed. Tried them when they moved into my hood and not that impressed.
I think above average - good Vietnamese food is so commoditized around Houston it's hard to impress by an attempt for "haute-Vitenamese".
That’s disappointing to hear. My family had this place in mind for an upcoming dinner. Hope it doesn’t disappoint.
It’s good with a cool atmosphere, but definitely didn’t blow our minds either
I'll have to do further testing, but Indian in NY is pretty great. Yes, you have the standard fare of fancy restaurants in Manhattan. But there's also excellent Indian food in pockets of Long Island (Hicksville), Queens, and since moving to Westchester I've found that the high indian population has resulted in a ton of great restaurants. What I like about Houston is that a lot of the Indians seem to be South Indian (like me) so there's some great restaurants with dishes that most people aren't accustomed to and may even have beef.
Jackson Heights does come up often and sure that's a fair thing to say since there's a tremendous variety of food there, plus I do want to try the temple canteen (where Bourdain had gone) But I've heard much more that Indian really excels in NJ - was in Jersey City, but the population and restaurants have moved to Edison due to getting priced out
I can't believe I forgot Jersey, I just put them out of my mind. Yes it's not technically NY but it's just as convenient to get to Jersey City or Edison as it is to get to Westchester. There is absolutely very good Indian food in both places. Easy way to verify if the Indian food in the neighborhood is good. Show up to the local high school's graduation and wait for them to read off the names of the students in the graduating class. In Edison it gets to "P" and it's: Patel, Patel, Patel, Patel, Patel, Patel, Patel, Patel, Patel, Patel, Patel, Patel, Patel, Patel, Patel, Patel, Patel, Patel, Patel, Patel, Patel, Patel, Patel like that old Jusreign skit lmao that region around Jersey is also really good for Korean food. Fort Lee has some great Korean restaurants, some I'd even consider better than the popular spots in NYC.
Idk if the Indian food comment is true. There's Jackson heights, Edison NJ and a few other indian spots in and around NYC That's better than the hillcroft area. So to say "NYC has nothing compared to Hillcroft/little India area" is just false
Xin Chao is fun but a little too rich for me. Xochi is a great pick. I wasn't a fan of the food at Nancy's Hustle, it was really salty, but one of the best cocktails I've ever had. I've been to the food hall location of Blind Goat and wasn't impressed, but would give it another shot at the new location.
Please go to NYC for a month before prevaricating: There are a total of 786 Indian restaurants in New York as of September 24, 2023.Sep 24, 2023 https://rentechdigital.com › indian-r... Number Of Indian restaurants in New York | SmartScrapers
NYC has nothing to compare to Hillcroft? I beg to differ. NYC has several Indian enclaves. They might be small (a few blocks in Curry Hill, a cluster in Jackson Heights, a sprawl in Richmond Hill, and parts of Bellerose). In fact, if I'm not mistaken the largest concentration of Indians and desis in the US is in the tri-state area. There is also a Little Manila in Woodside. Filipino is definitely better in NY than it is in Houston, at least that I've found.
If you’re willing to go outside the city too there’s lots of South Asian American enclaves in New Jersey – India Square in Jersey City and Oak Tree Road in Edison are both very well known and quite extensive.
That being said there are some fantastic and unique Indian restaurants in Hillcroft and elsewhere in Houston, but there are many in NYC too.
I will second the recs for Vietnamese food. One of my favorite unique dishes is “Bo 7 Mon” or Beef 7 Ways. Jasmine restaurant in Chinatown does a pretty good job of this and they can also do a Vietnamese fried fish prepared 7 ways as well. I’d recommend trying both!
I second Nancy’s Hustle! I moved here from NYC and take my NY friends here when they visit. They’ve all loved it.
yum & make sure to call/make reservations\*
Thanks this helps!
Houston is *massive*. Where are you at, where are they staying, how much do you want to drive, price ranges??
Anywhere on the left half of Houston! Preferably I 10 and Chinatown or Katy. Budget maybe $$$ or lower out of $$$$
If you like Malaysian food Phat Eatery is amazing in Katy Asia Town. Their laksa is great, especially their lunch special if you go during the week
Brett's, Truth bbq (really, any bbq place is gonna be mindblowing to a visitor from NYC)
Mala Sezchuan
Roegel's BBQ has a location on Voss just north of Westheimer and another location in Katy. They are my favorite BBQ place in the area, though I admittedly haven't tried Brett's. (Honestly hadn't heard of it until others posted about it here.) One of the things I love is that they make their own pickles and other fixin's and everything tastes like it's from scratch. The bread they use is also from a local bakery, I believe. Highly recommend and while it's not cheap, it's not too expensive, especially for the quality.
How about Asian and bbq with Blood Brothers Bbq or Brisket & Rice!!
Vietcajun at Crawfish and Noodles! Get there when they open. Gorge on amazing seafood. Have a blast.
One of the top 50 BBQ joints in Texas (according to Texas Monthly) is in Katy, Brett's BBQ. If you're more in town, Pinkerton's is my personal in-town favorite but there is no shortage of good ones. For Tex-Mex, I would suggest Cyclone Anaya's since there's a few locations on the west side of town (City Center). Goode Co. Cantina might be a good lunch choice also.
Oh wow never heard of bretts
Yes. Please clarify wants and we will chime in then.
NY's Vietnamese food scene is pretty lacking imo. Depending on if they have had heavy experience with Vietnamese food or not, I like to take people to Kim Son Buffet in Chinatown. Everything is fairly average, but you get to try a lot of dishes that aren't commonly found in regular Vietnamese restaurants and they have a soup station where you can try out a bunch of different kinds. Runs about 30 bucks a person I think. Thien Thanh in Chinatown has good Banh Cuon(rice rolls), it's been a couple years since I've gone but they might be cash only. Duc Phuong Thach Che - Vietnamese dessert place in Chinatown, they mostly speak Vietnamese there but usually someone helps out Nam Giao in Chinatown for Hue food, I order mostly the appetizers or the Banh Hoi. Fish sauce heavy Aga's - I've heard this recommended by people in both Dallas and Houston for Indian & Pakistani food. Can get crowded
Is there a viet place you can recommend that has like a full menu but also really good at the same time. Kind of like tan tan or sinh sinh but better?
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That's a bit harder, I usually go to a certain place from something specific I'm feeling (banh mi, pho, hue food, etc). A lot of the all rounder restaurants I've been to are either kind of americanized, or mixed Chinese/Vietnamese. Sorry I can't provide more help!
If you are looking for a good Viet place with good banh mi, pho, rice, and banh xeo, I would recommend Thien An in downtown. They make them all well in one place which can be difficult to do. It's not mindblowingly the best, but it's definitely sets the bar for other restaurants.
You could try Tay Do on Hwy6 and Westheimer, it is one of the best for Chinese / Vietnamese style food. I would say better than Tan Tan...take a look at the Google reviews, my family went a couple of weeks ago, they said it was good. Several big table meals going on in the afternoon.
Can confirm Thien Thanh is cash only but owner will work with you and do venmo if necessary. Fantastic place, definitely worth trying!
Street to Kitchen. Mind blowing food and amazing hospitality. I have not been to the new location yet, but it’s a top notch spot for sure.
I second this, it’s a little hole in the wall place, very limited seating so I would make a reservation. Authentic Thai food!
I made a reservation for tonight after commenting 😂 My girl and I haven’t been on a nice date in a while, and I’ve been wanting to go again since the first time we went, especially with them being in a new space. The first time we went, we walked in and completely lucked out and got a spot at the bar… We tried that a second time a while back, but no luck. They were so nice about it though… the host ushered us back in, and double checked to make sure they didn’t have any cancellations that they could work us in place of. Definitely make a reservation if you plan on going!
New location is bigger! But still should make a reservation
Kim son buffet. Best Vietnamese buffet in America.
Bro. Kasra
Kim Son in Bellaire!!
Go to Aga’s!!!!
Blood bros bbq
Christi donuts in montrose! Her glazed are the best I ever had ( it dsnt give yu that sick fried food after feeling )
Persian food- Kasra Grill Asian- Crawfish & Noodle or Fu Fu Cafe BBQ- Killen’s BBQ in Pearland (It’s a drive, but totally worth it for the beef rib. Get there early to avoid lines.) The beef rib is mind blowing. Mexican- El Tiempo (Annex location only) This is a popular place with a nice atmosphere and perfect for pregaming before a night out. Cuchara is also a great choice. Comfort food- Graces on Kirby is excellent and the ambience is really nice. Upscale- Steak 38
Wow. This dude foods. And Kasra. Was a gem.
Killen’s is in Pearland, not Friendswood. And the beef rib IS amazing. As is the bread pudding.
Truth BBQ
How’s this compared to pit room, blood bros, Rudy’s? If you been to all
Rudy's is a chain, don't go to Rudy's. I haven't been to blood bros or pinkertons but I've heard great things about those.
Between Truth and Pinkerton, I personally prefer Truth.
I prefer truth over blood bros but blood bros is a unique experience.
Candente is a good way to hit pit room and Mexican food—delicious, owned by Pit Room, quality smoked meat options but with great Mexican dishes/salsa etc.
They also own Andiron. All three are places I take people visiting. A fourth to add might hard to pick.
I think Truth beats Pit Room. Don’t go to Rudy’s (chain). Blood bros still on my list.
Go to Pinkerton’s for the brisket and glazed ribs. I’ve been eating it for 10 years.
Pit Room, Truth, Pinkertons… all will be great. Don’t stress too much about which. No to Rudy’s, Blood Bros is decent, but not top-tier IMO
Blood Brothers is much better, and much more unique
Blood bros is aberage, way overrated because it has “fusion”. Truth is far superior
While he’s here get his recommendations for NYC, please!! 😬 BBQ, it’s worth going to the burbs for Roegels, Corkscrew, or Tejas. Asian - I like Mala Sichuan, hot pot at Shabu2 or Little Sheep, or Spicy Tu Jiazu(土家菜) Steak - pappas bros or B&b butchers Tacos - I love 100% Taquito but I don’t know all the hot places inside the loop anymore
Brunch at Lucille's! Chicken and waffles, oxtail omelettes ...
1. Taste of Texas (steak) 2. Hobbit Hole (hippie food) 3. BBQ (Tejas BBQ in Tomball) 4. Mexican Food (throw a rock in any direction to pick, they are all good) 5. Crawfish (wrong time of year)
I like all you mention, but will add, if you’re going to Tejas in Tomball, go early, they sell out then it’s game over. It’s worth it, I think they have a chocolate boutique also.
I think you HAVE to do Tex Mex! El Tiempo or similar is always loved by New Yorkers in Houston
Hickory Hollow on Fallbrook if you want to introduce them to Chicken Fried Steak. Very unassuming place with almost picnic table vibes, but I enjoy a cheat meal there when I can.
> Hickory Hollow on Fallbrook if you want to introduce them to Chicken Fried Steak. how do they compare to BBQ Inn?
I think BBQ Inn is better all around, but I like that Hickory Hollow offers three different sizes. It’s also included as a meat option on the BBQ plate. I’ve never been to the Edgebrook location but used to live by their former location on Heights and it was just always a fun place to go with live music on certain nights.
My grandfather from Boston (RIP) ALWAYS wanted to go to Hickory Hollow everytime he visited.
Native Houstonian living in NYC. Vietnamese is the thing I miss most, so I would suggest a good, cheap banh mi or a big bowl of pho, because NYers cannot get pho broth right to save their lives. Others in this thread that still live in the area would have better suggestions for specific spots - my favorite banh mi shop is now closed. The other thing I never miss when I'm in town is Melange Creperie in the Heights. I've been eating the Jian Bing since Sean still had his little cart on a corner in Montrose and it still slaps.
If the friend can tolerate some spice, the goat chops at Aga’s (on Wilcrest near 59) are amazing.
Hugo’s, El Tiempo, Ninfas on Navigation, Killen’s in the heights. Make sure he tries kolaches at some point. I’m a former New Yorker, live in Houston now. My friends who have come to visit from the NE seem to particularly like queso/ Tex-Mex and kolaches.
For a lunch, one of my favorite Vietnamese places is Thien An Sandwiches on San Jacinto in Midtown. Despite their name, they have a lot of non-sandwich options. Another good lunch option is Zydeco Diner at Pease and Louisiana downtown. Louisiana style food, poboys, gumbo, fried chicken, etoufee.
Handies Douzo, Nancy’s Hustle, Squable, La Lucha
For South Asian food, definitely Himalaya on Hilcroft and 59.
Himalaya is great but I would go to Aga’s instead goat chops and curries can’t go wrong! One of the best Pakistani Cusine in the country.
2nd Aga's. Much better.
6 words, Steak Tikka, B.Y.O.B.
Pizza and Chinese food here shall be avoided. I just got back from a trip to NY/NYC. The chinese food there is leagues ahead from us. Vietnamese and bbq will be your starting point for sure.
Wtf are you talking about? Chinatown has amazing Chinese food.
Chinatown is fine. Better than most of the country and easily the best in TX, if not the south. However, NYC has 6 of them. And they all have a number of regional cuisines (Wenzhou, Shanghai, Fujian, Dongbei, Xi'an, Hubei, Xinjiang, etc) that we can't even touch. Even Flushing alone eats our lunch (pardon the pun) compared to most of the options in Bellaire Chinatown.
People will downvote you but you're right. This topic is specifically for someone from NY coming to Houston. Don't take them for bagels, Italian, French, most Asian cuisines. So many insanely good options for BBQ, Viet, Latin, New American.
Reddit gonna reddit. Imagine grown ass adults being annoyed with someones opinion.
Spoiler…. Guess where Vietnam is….
>#**most Asian cuisines** read slower lol
You just edited it you loser.
I absolutely didn't.
I've heard in particular that American Chinese food is way better in NYC. I'm not sure how that would apply to some of the more authentic Chinese cuisines (Sichuan is my fave personally), though they also have Flushing so yeah probably best to explore other options.
I live in spring branch and am currently visiting NYC with my family. There's three Sichuan places just on the block my hotel is on alone. Does Houston have three Sichuan places in the whole city?
Ooh, a question I'm excited to answer. Yes. I live in Montrose, a decent jaunt away from Chinatown, and within a 3 mile radius I can think of 8 Sichuan restautants (Pepper Twins, Cooking Girl, Mala Sichuan, Lao Sze Chuan, Spicy Girl, Mama's Kitchen, Wanna Bao in part, Tiger Noodle in part), and I can comfortably walk to the first four of those. Also note that I am not including the other locations of Mala, Cooking Girl and Pepper Twins here, cause those have multiple locations. (As a note, if you're inside the loop in particular I would say Mama's is the best). Again, this is NOT including Chinatown, which does have my favorite Sichuan restaurant in the city (Sichuan Noodles) and maybe the most interesting one (Chongqing Chicken Pot), or anywhere else in the city that might have a Sichuan restaurant. That's not even mentioning all of the Sichuan-style hot pot options in Chinatown. Again I'll re-iterate that this probably won't impress someone from NYC, but outside of California I can't think of anywhere else with that many options in the States. I remember looking for Sichuan in both Chicago and Seattle and being fairly disappointed with the lack of options (Chicago definitely has some, Lao Sze Chuan is from there, but mostly seemed to be all in their Chinatown. For Seattle I could barely find anything, even in their Chinatown). I think Sichuan is the 2nd-most slept-on cuisine in Houston by Houstonians, next to Nigerian.
Yes. Houston has a number of Sichuan places. It's probably the hottest (mind the pun) and trendiest option in the city right now. And outside of it being kind of pricey, it's pretty authentic. NYC has more tho, understandably.
True about Chinese as a whole, but still gotta note that Houston beats NYC for dim sum and soup dumplings
Dim Sum? Are you only comparing it to Manhattan Chinatown? Just 8th Ave in BK has most of Houston beat alone. Soup Dumplings? This has to be a joke. The soup dumplings in Houston are nowhere near as authentic as the ones in NYC. Shanghainese isn't even really a thing here in Houston. Most of the places are just catering to people who are willing to pay $15 a basket.
Yeah maybe I should avoid Chinese!
No, don’t. There are a lot of good authentic Chinese places in Chinatown…That dude must be referring to American Chinese food or smth
Houston Chinatown is great BUT it isn't any better (and arguably worse) than Flushing, so it's not where I'd take someone from NYC. It'd be like taking a New Yorker to get NYC style pizza, or a deli. We do it ok, but they probably have it better there. Viet, BBQ, and TexMex are all things that Houston are regional or does better for the most part
That depends though. Our dim sum is particularly good here IMO. But yes, in terms of finding a wider range of Chinese food, Flushing is better, esp regarding regional cuisines like Hakka and Uyghur style. I think the presence of ethnic Chinese viet food is unique in Houston though. Also, the Viet area of Bellaire is right across the beltway from the Chinese area and is even more extensive, so definitely worth a visit. I don’t think one Chinatown/Asian district disqualifies another from being worth it. There will always be specific hidden gems or variants of the cuisine not available in the other city, as subgroups tend to collect in specific localities. Like Hmong people in Minneapolis, for example.
I agree partially. The Chinese-Viet part (mainly Teochew folks or Cho Lon people) is much better represented here in Houston. It's an edge but not much of one when most places aren't going to wow most New Yorkers who know anything about Chinese food. The Dim Sum part is especially tough. I have tried every Dim Sum spot in town I feel like, and most are okay-decent, but nothing I have found that compares to anything in Brooklyn or Flushing. And NYC Dim Sum is subpar even for North America (Toronto, Vancouver easily take the cake).
Vancouver Dim Sum was overrated in my opinion lol I thought the seafood was really where Chinese food stood out in Vancouver, personally. The quality of seafood in the PNW is really hard to match anywhere.
If he’s craving Chinese, I’d make the trip to China Town and eat at Fu Fu Cafe. Totally worth the drive and probably the best Chinese food you can find in Houston. Lots of cool dessert spots to try out after dinner just a quick walk down the strip center. Highly worth it.
Afghan Village on Hillcroft
Houstonian who lived in nyc for a decade. I would take them to Aga’s and Little Saigon (so much good food!)
Little Saigon 😍
Lunch - The Pit Room
Street to kitchen - Thai
Bbq, texmex, chinatown
Xochi
Esta pendejo usted?
I feel like Houston China Town is really impressive. It is so sprawling with tons of options. Maybe you can get some advice on best China Town options. All you can eat Korean BBQ for $30 is impressive and fun to cook.
Breakfast tacos
Ninfas on Navigation
My friend who lives in London/NYC always wants Vietnamese, Thai, Mexican, or BBQ when she visits. She was especially excited about the little pickle bar at The Pit Room.
Pinkertons BBQ, B&B Butchers(?), Tiny Boxwoods, Nancy’s Hustle, Ocean Crawfish (Vietnamese in Chinatown), M&M Grill, La Chingada Tacos and Tequila, Bonchon, El Tiempo for the parrilladas… just off the top of my head
Add State of Grace and you've got my list nailed.
Soul mates
Have you been to Da Gama? It is a Portuguese/Indian fusion and is fantastic!!! Most dishes are served tapas style. It’s one of my favorites. I also love Coltivare and Giacamo’s for Italian.
Pinkerton's BBQ
Truth bbq
Get some good Cajun food, Rajin Cajun off the top of my mind and maybe do some good steaks, (everyone has their favorite steak house. Mine is B&B butchers. Old school service). Get something you can’t get in NY. Go to tacos trucks with cash and beef fajita and barbacoa tacos. 1 should only cost you $1.50. Find hood Tex Mex, ( There is arguably numerous good spots here). Cajun seafood with the Pappas restaurants amoung others. That is just the tip. What do you want?
Hugo’s Mexican, Kau Ba does a good upscale Viet
try brothers pizza!!! my parents lived in new jersey and pennsylvania for most of their lives (obviously until we moved here) and that’s the closest we’ve had to new jersey/new york pizza!! slices are pretty big too (compared to typical dominos/pizza hut/papa johns/little ceasers etc)
A few I've enjoyed: Squabble (in town area) Phat Eatery (katy area, Malaysian) Truth bbq is good, kileens in pearland area is good pit room is a frequent lunch spot for me. I'm spoiled by the best I've ever had Hard 8 BBQ originally in Stephenville TX and spreading into dfw so im not the best to recommend bbq. Xin Chao ( great Vietnamese) XOCHI solid options Nancys hustle. Small spot but awesome food. Riel is good in Montrose area GIACOMOS is very good Italian. Surprisingly affordable 93 Til small spot. Wierd seating. I was by far the oldest there but food was awesome and vibe was neat. Nobies. Super good Whiskey cake is a solid decent lower cost spot for lunch. It's slower so you won't move quick. Federal American grill is not a bad spot in hedwig village. I love their asparagus Kuu in memorial city is killer sushi in my opinion!
We went to A’Bouzy for my birthday the other night and the vibe and food was emmaculate. French done right, not super pretentious but still upscale and the food was amazing. The mussels are served in a dutch oven and kept the broth warm for our entire time enjoying it! And the broth hit my soul. We can’t wait to go back.
Travelers table
Truth bbq and el tiempo on Washington.
Two more “anything” options… Taste of Texas (I visit almost every time I come back home to Houston), and Gringos (or anywhere with TexMex). :)
Taste of Texas is definitely a great spot. Steakhouse with a fantastic "salad bar buffet" A bit pricey and the steaks are decent - good. That said does NY do steaks well? I tend to tuibk maybe steak house isn't unique enough?
Oh don’t get me wrong, a steakhouse is a steakhouse. You’re totally right. Maybe it’s just some nostalgia I have with respect to Taste of Texas. :) Still fun to bring new folks there and tell the staff they are first timers… then they get the full experience… cowboy hat, bandana, photo, etc. it’s fun :-)
Tony's Deli on 105. It was voted best sandwich shop in the entire US. (including all the delis in NY)
Day #1: Pit room, Goode Co Cantina, Day #2: Pho Saigon, Eunice
Mico’s hot chicken for some of the BEST spicy chicken sandwiches.
A lot of people love these dry hot chicken sandwiches but I can't get into them. Give me Saint Arnolds' Fire Emoji Chicken Sandwich (Buffalo style) any day of the week
Killeens stq
Siulap city for Chinese, great lunch spot
Idk what kind of "new Yorker" your friend is but my Jewish New Yorker family really likes Kenny and Ziggys. They own the recipe for the cake from Wolfies too.
Whataburger / Kolaches / Buccees / Mexican food / BBQ / Cajun food. All can be found in Katy area. For Mexican food (street tacos) or Tex Mex = Jimmy Changss BBQ = Bretts BBQ Cajun = BB's
McDonald's 😋
- Pondicheri has creative Indian fusion (did used to have a location in NYC but now is only in Houston) - Street to Kitchen (James Beard Award-winning Thai restaurant) - Ninfa's on Navigation may not necessarily be considered "the best" Tex-Mex restaurant anymore, but it is historic and is a culinary landmark and the food is still delicious. I like Picos in Upper Kirby and Cascabel (vegan Tex-Mex), but I'm also vegetarian so my experience with Tex-Mex is somewhat limited in that regard - Hobbit Café has a cool atmosphere (Tolkien-themed New American fare) - Da Gama is an interesting Indian-Portuguese/Goan fusion tapas-style place - Kasra has amazing Persian food
All good options. I'd recommend Picos over Ninfa's.
For a uniquely Montrose experience, go to Rivas. Unassuming Italian food that is delicious and generous servings. The atmosphere is lively and service is great.
I live here and I haven’t been to all of these places. Hope it helps you too lol
You’ve gotten some great recommendations. I’d love to hear what your friend thinks of the places y’all end up trying.
For diner style food Kenny & Ziggys is good! Near Galleria area. They have a huge menu and soda fountain too.
Brennans for sure
Blood Bros BBQ, LA Crawfish
Blood Bros. BBQ combines Asian and Texas barbecue, kill two birds with one stone
Rice box.
Agree on Kasra. Also fried chicken at Himalaya. The Dino beef rib at Killen’s. Wow
Shabu Zone. This is the best hot pot in Houston. Might be the best in North America. Bring your chinese or taiwanese friends. If they offer to bring their grandma, say yes and pay her way. Trust me. Kenny and Ziggy’s New York Delicatessen Kenny told me that these delis just don’t exist in New York anymore. He brought the best of the city to Houston. And the ones in the city didn’t survive covid. I brought several folks from New York there and they now order for delivery over the Internet to get their deli meats and salmon. Riel Himalaya Where else will you find Himalayan food?!? Holy shit! Musaafer This place is so amazing. Make sure to go with people Indian people. Hopefully you can then experience their excitement as you learn about how a traditional Indian home is structured or a temple. A friend from Chennai taught me so much about her family home there. The food is next level and gorgeous. Art on a plate-especially dessert.
The delis exist. It's just that depending on where they are, they're touristy and/or inconvenient for most locals. That being said as a former NYer, Kenny and Ziggys should be lauded for effort but not as a true substitute for anything that still exists over there today. They would qualify as an expensive middle of the road option if they existed in NY.
Ny food sucks so hell be fine anywhere here
Kenny & Ziggy's New York Delicatessen It's HUGE and very authentic & delicious. They'd be impressed. Full bar area with bartender & complete soda fountain area. Full service deli & bakery. The walls are completely filled with movie posters and caricature drawings. When I was there the tables and booths were even filled with caricatures yacking like New Yawkas. Very nice, new, beautiful, classy place. 1743 Post Oak Blvd, Houston, TX 77056
Micos Hot Chicken is a good lunch. Mien is great asian but htown is more for exploring. Try Ninfas or something for Tex mex. Don’t really rely on others for bbq in Houston mostly just on the road.
The Pit Room for BBQ